Blockages of blood flow to the smaller blood vessels in the body, also referred to as microvascular obstruction, often result in ischemic insult and necrosis of nearby tissue. These microvessels circulate blood to almost all major organs of the body, such as the heart, kidneys, skeletal muscles, and brain, as well as to more peripheral areas such as extremities, muscles and skin. In this respect, microvascular occlusions can damage almost any area of the body, resulting in a wide range of complications and diseases.
Generally, microvascular obstruction is caused by thrombotic occlusions (e.g., platelets, fibrin or both), vasospasm of the micro vessels (i.e., sudden narrowing), leukocyte (white blood cell) or a combination of these. Due to the small size of the microvessels, typically 8-1500 micrometers in diameter, detection of obstruction remains difficult. Further, even when obstruction is localized, effective treatments can be similarly difficult to deliver.